Tales of the Shadow Senshi
by Shallow15
Summary: In another world, the Sailor Senshi were not brought back for Love and Justice, but for Vengance and Punishment. Usagi Tsukino has decreed that all shall love her and despair, and her Senshi will make sure of that. But even they must prove their devotion.
1. Sailor Mars Proves Her Love

Author's note: Inspired by various "Shadow Senshi" posts at Jet Wolf's Tumblr page.

* * *

Rei sat in meditation before the sacred fire. It had only been a few days since Minako had joined their ranks and the five of them together had begun to show the world Usagi's love through the powers of the Sailor Senshi. Of course, there was resistance. That was to be expected. But they would come around in time. Rei had, after all.

"Rei-chan."

Rei looked over her shoulder to see Usagi standing there, smiling as she could only smile. That wonderful, terrible, close-lipped smile. Rei felt the cold shiver flow through her. The shiver that only Usagi could give to her. So biting, so bitter, and oh so wonderful.

"Communing with the fire again, huh?" Usagi asked, kneeling next to her.

"It keeps me focused," Rei replied. "But I can stop if you need me for something," she added quickly. Whatever Usagi wanted, she was there to provide. There was no duty greater or more sacred to her.

"I just wanted to ask you a question," Usagi said, staring into the flames.

"What do you want to know?"

Usagi was silent for a moment and Rei wondered if she had upset her princess by asking the question. Of course she had. Usagi was their ruler, their mistress, their goddess made flesh. Why had she presumed such informality? It wasn't right, no matter how devoted or close they were. Rei began to form ideas on how to make it up to her-

"You love me, don't you, Rei-chan?" Usagi asked, still not looking at her. Rei blinked, surprised at the gentle tone Usagi had asked the question.

"Yes, of course, I do," she replied.

"You are utterly devoted to me, aren't you?"

"Totally and completely."

"And you would do anything for me?"

"All you have to do is ask."

"Transform into Sailor Mars, please."

Rei was confused but if that was what Usagi wanted, then she would have it. Rei pulled her transformation wand from the sleeve of her robe.

"MARS ECLIPSE POWER! MAKE UP!"

Within seconds, Rei stood in the long sleeved black fuku that made up the base of the senshi uniform. Her collar, and skirt were red, as were her high heels, long the envy of the others as Usagi had said she thought Rei's shoes were the cutest of all the footwear of the other senshi. Red rings surrounded her biceps. Short black gloves covered her hands, and a large purple bow adorned the front of the uniform, held in place by a heart shaped brooch. A crack ran down the center of the brooch, looking like a jagged lightning bolt.

Sailor Mars had arrived.

Usagi still did not look at her. "Now, please stick your arm in the fire."

Rei blinked. She had not expected this. "Usagi?" she asked uncertainly, certain she was going to draw the other girl's ire for merely hesitating.

Usagi finally looked up at Rei and smiled gently. " I need to know how much you love me, Rei-chan. I worry that you don't sometimes. That you'll go away. But I need you, Rei-chan, and I need to know how much you love me so I won't have to worry anymore. So if you love me... put your arm into the fire."

Rei swallowed. She wasn't certain about this, but if Usagi wanted proof of her love and loyalty, then she was going to get it. Rei knelt back down, closed her eyes, took a deep breath to focus herself, then thrust her right arm into the sacred fire.

The black material of the uniform burst into flames almost immediately and it wasn't long before Rei smelled her own flesh begin to burn with it. Her last thought before the pain overtook her was how it smelled remarkably like roasted pork. Any further thoughts wer elostin in a blinding haze of pain and heat. She moved to pull her arm back out, but felt something keeping it in the flames. She forced her eyes open and saw Usagi holding her in place with an iron grip. Her princess's face was calm and collected. She looked at Rei with cold blue eyes.

"Do you love me?"

"Y-Yes!" Rei hissed through clenched teeth. Usagi pushed on Rei's shoulder, driving her arm deeper into the fire. the skin of Rei's arm was bubbling and blistering with sickening pops and sizzles. Amazingly, the red bicep rings of the fuku were undamaged, but were still burning hot. Rei's eyes were streaming tears and her vision began to blacken at the edges. She bit her lip. She would do this. She would prove herself to Usagi.

"Do you love me?" Usagi asked again.

"Yes!" Rei cried out, trying to keep her voice from breaking. The pain was still excruciating but she couldn't tell where the fire began and her arm ended. She became aware of a new sensation near her right hip and saw that Usagi had positioned her so that her skirt was also being set alight by the flames.

"Do. You. Love. Me?"

Rei found herself unable to articulate words. The pain and the heat was blotting everyhting else out in her brain. She felt a flood of tears roll down her cheeks and she began wailing gibberish, trying to say anything to make Usagi believe her.

It apparently worked as Usagi quickly pulled Rei out of the flames and smothered her smouldering skirt. Rei cradled her injured arm, not daring to touch it. It was blistered and red in palces, and charred in others. The sleeve of the fuku was completely gone, but the rings remained. The glove had partially melted and Rei wasn't certain if she could remove it without removing the skin of her hand. A part of her mind idly wondered what was going to happen when she de-transformed later.

She felt strong hands pulling her upright and soon found herself looking into the calming blue of Usagi's eyes.

"Do you still love me, Rei-chan?"

Rei swallowed and took a hitching breath. She fought her way through the pain and tried to sound confident.

"I l-love you, U-Usagi-chan."

"And you would do anything for me?"

"Y-yes."

"Would you die for me?"

"Yes."

"Would you kill for me?"

"Y-yes, Usagi-chan."

Usagi stood up, towering over Rei. Rei swallowed and looked up at her princess. Usagi's face was shrouded in shadow, the fire highlighting the odango atop her head. When Usagi spoke again, it was gentle and loving.

"I believe you, Rei-chan."

Rei let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. She closed her eyes as she felt Usagi's fingers brush through her hair, lightly scratching her scalp. Rei closed her eyes and enthused in the feelings. The pain in her arm didn't go away, but it was reduced as she felt Usagi's love for her seep in through the roots of her hair and into the rest of her body. Usagi believed her. She had proven her love, and her princess believed her. There could be no higher honor.

Suddenly, Usagi's fingers twited into Rei's hair sharply. Rei let out a yelp of pain as Usagi bent her over at the waist and pulled the hair back form the right side of her face with her free hand.

"I believe you love me, Rei-chan... but I have to be sure."

With that, Usagi shoved Rei's face halfway into the flames. The screams went on for a while.

Rei's proclamations of love for Usagi went on for much longer.

* * *

"She'll need to keep the bandages on for a few days, but the ointment I created should keep out any infection until the scar tissue forms," Ami said, in her usual clinical manner. "Nothing can be done about that, of course. Although, if you want, I have some new surgical techniques I've been developing-"

"That's okay, Ami-chan," Usagi said, cutting her off. "I love Rei-chan the way she is. Don't you?"

Ami looked at Rei, her right arm bandaged from fingertips to just below her shoulder. A large gauze pad covered most of the right side of her face. Rei had been lucky her nose and mouth hadn't been burned as well. Rei would be blind in that eye for the rest of her life, of course, but Ami had some ideas on how to work around that. That is, if Rei's own psychic aptitude and iron will didn't cause her to develop a work-around of her own.

"I suppose so, Usagi-chan. Do you need anything else right now?"

"No," Usagi answered, "I'm sure you have studying or research to do. I'm going to stay here and look after Rei-chan for a bit. I'll call you if I need you."

Ami nodded, and looked at Rei. "Change the bandages every six hours. If something doesn't look right call me immediately, okay?"

"Okay, Ami-chan," Rei mumbled, her speech slurred from the painkillers Ami had acquired through judicious uses of one of her mother's prescription pads. Ami adjusted her glasses, nodded again, and left.

When they were alone, Usagi gently helped Rei to sit up and placed some extra pillows behind her back so she could sit upright. Usagi sat down on the bed and took Rei's injured arm in her hands. Rei tensed up, but Usagi expected as much, and she cooed softly to Rei.

"It's all right, Rei-chan. No more pain. I'm very proud of you." She ran her fingers over the bandages surrounding Rei's arm. "You proved yourself to me. Like the others are going to prove themselves. Not in the same way, it needs to be somethign special for each of you. But now, now you can rest for a while and get better before we begin the real work."

Usagi brushed Rei's hair out of her face and slowly removed the gause form the other girl's face. Rei's face was a scarred, angry red wasteland. Her right eye was milky and gray. Her ear looked like a twisted piece of jerky.

Usagi thought it was the most beautiful face she had ever seen. She reached up and gently carressed the scarred and puckered skin. Rei flinched as tingles of pain shot through her face but did not cry out.

"Your arm was to prove your love for all of us," Usagi said, looking Rei in her good eye. "This," she caressed Rei's damaged face again. "Was to prove your love for me. These scars are ours and ours alone. No one else sees them unless I want them to. Understand?"

Rei swallowed and nodded, unable to pull her gaze away from the glittering icy orbs in front of her. Usagi smiled, took her hand away and arranged Rei's hair so that it covered the scars.

"I think that will look lovely, once Ami-chan says the bandages can come off for good, don't you?"

Rei turned to look at herself in the mirror over her dresser. Her hair fell in a wave over the right side of her face, although tiny edges of the scarring could be seen. Using only one eye was going to take some getting used to, but she was Rei Hino, she was invincible, and she had the love of Usagi Tsukino.

Rei smiled at her reflection and the reflection of Usagi hovering over her shoulder in the mirror.

"I think it's lovely too," she said quietly.


	2. A Crystal Tokyo Nursery Rhyme

**A Crystal Tokyo Nursery Rhyme**

Rest my child, it's time for bed

Time to lay your weary head

If awake you try to stay

The Shadow Senshi come to play

They watch us all from the night

Taking those who try to fight

It does no good to scream and cry

If you are bad, then say goodbye

If your homework remains undone

You'll never see the rising sun

For Mercury's revenge is bloody

Against all those who do not study

Crystal Tokyo's a happy place

So be sure a smile is on your face

If a smile you do not fake

Your life is Venus's to take.

Be wary when the lightning strikes

For Jupiter may have you in her sights

Disobedience and attitude mean

Never again will you be seen.

And if you think that you can win

By keeping secret all your sins

There's one who sees through a face of scars

There is no hiding from the eyes of Mars.

Leading the four from high above

Demanding our respect and love

And if you do not bow and swoon

You will face the wrath of Sailor Moon

The sun has come to start the dawn

And all bad children are long gone

And when asked why the parents say

"The Shadow Senshi came to play."


	3. Rise of Shadows

**RISE OF THE SHADOWS**

She was a fool. She knew that now.

Tensions between the Earth and the Moon had been mounting for years... decades... centuries. Who knew anymore? But she had hope. The constant struggles had reached a lull and with the rise of Endymion to power, progress had been made. A treaty had been signed, and surprisingly, love had bloomed between the Earth prince and her own daughter.

They had thought their romance was secret, that they had taken precautions. But they were young, and as many scholars older and wiser than her had often remarked, the young were reckless and nowhere near as discreet as they thought. As far as she was concerned, however, it could only help cement the burgeoning peace.

Again, she was a fool.

When the romance between Endymion and Princess Serenity had become public, the old tensions had returned, and now, spurred on by Beryl and her demonic ally, they had exploded.

The Silver Millenium was falling. The army of Earth was ravaging the city, cutting down denizens of the Moon. The cloud of evil that was Metallia struck repeatedly and without mercy throughout the city. She had given orders. The soldiers were trying to protect the populous, the Inner Senshi were protecting the princess, the Outer Senshi were doing all they could everywhere else.

She strode down the halls of the palace, the Moon Stick in hand. Her face was set in grim determination. She would save the Moon. She would rebuild the peace that had been shattered. She would in turn destroy those who dared to destroy her empire.

Another tremor rocked the palace and Luna and Artemis skidded around a corner.

"Your majesty!" Artemis called, "The Senshi have fallen!"

"The Earth forces have nearly taken the city!" Luna cried. "You must get to safety."

"Where is Serenity?" she demanded.

"We lost track of her in all the confusion," Artemis answered. "Then we saw what happened to the Senshi. We thought it best to find and warn you."

She nodded. "I need you both to find Serenity and make sure she's safe. You two are the only protection she has now that her bodyguards have fallen."

"But, your majesty-"

"Now, Luna!" she snapped, cutting off the cat mid-sentence. Her expression softened. "I'll be fine. Do this for me, please."

Luna took a step back, then she and Artemis nodded and dashed back the way they had come.

The queen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her eyes opened.

"You may as well come out, I know you're there."

She turned her head to see the towering form of Sailor Pluto emerge from the shadows. As always, the Guardian of Time's expression was silent and sorrowful.

"Shouldn't you be at the Gate?"

"Certain events must be observed," Pluto replied. "Even endings."

"Nothing is ending," the queen said. "Not today."

"All things have their time... even ageless empires."

The queen's expression hardened and she whirled to face Pluto. "Not. Today."

Pluto looked sadly at her queen. "Even the queen of the Silver Millenium cannot delay the end of a cycle."

The palace rocked again as Metallia sent another wave of dark energy crashing into the Moon. The queen glared at Pluto. "If you are not here to help, then leave me. My people are dying and I must protect them."

"Of course you must."

"Begone!" The queen snarled, "I have neither the time nor the patience for your enigmas!"

"As you wish, my queen." Pluto bowed her head and vanished back into the shadows.

She held her free hand to her chest and concentrated. There was a celestial glow and soon, she held the ginzuishou in her palm. She gripped it firmly and marched towards the palace gate. Her people... her daughter... needed her.

She was too late.

She watched in horror as the lifeless bodies of Princess Serenity and Endymion floated in the air. Across the way, Beryl laughed in triumph. In the sky, the cloud of evil rolled and boiled. A face, twisted and inhuman, appeared and disappeared in the movement.

She took the ginzuishou and fitted it to the Moon Stick. Pluto was right. It was the end.

But that didn't mean it would end on Earth's terms.

"Your majesty, no!"

The queen turned to see Luna and Artemis. "I must."

"If you unleash the power of the ginzuishou, you won't survive!"

"And if I don't, nothing survives!"

Metallia roared again and the queen gasped in horror as Princess Serenity's body was raised higher in the air and dashed against the ground. She heard the sickening crunch of bones being shattered and the laughter of Beryl exulting in the destruction of her hated rival. The queen's teeth clenched as she felt rage and anguish race through her veins, heating her face and igniting her soul.

Behind her, something fell.

The queen raised the Moon Stick and channeled all her pain, all her anger, all her hate into the ginzuishou. The crystal glowed brightly, before becoming tinged with an aura of dark red energy. A crimson beam shot from the crystal and blazed across the ruined courtyard before it took Beryl's head completely off. The Earth queen's body collapsed to the ground, her head sailing through the air and landing out of sight with an audible thunk.

The queen raised her head to look at the inhuman force that had destroyed her home. "You want death and pain? You wish rage and destruction? THEN TAKE IT!"

She raised the Moon Stick over her head and cried to the heavens.

"MOON PRINCESS ANNIHILATION!"

The crimson energy exploded, bathing the entire moon in a field of red. The Earth army screamed as they were consumed by the manifestation of the Moon Queen's grief. Above her Metallia's roars turned to screams as the energy enveloped and trapped her. The screams became louder as the energy compressed the ancient entity into a small ball which shot back towards the queen, becoming smaller and smaller until it vanished into the shimmering facets of the ginzuishou.

The queen smiled in grim satisfaction and collapsed onto a fallen column.

"Your majesty!" The cats dashed to the fallen monarch's side.

"Luna... Artemis..."

"Rest, your majesty," Luna said, "We'll get help!"

The queen shook her head. "Everyone's dead, Luna. There is no help. The Silver Millenium has come to an end." She looked down at the Moon Stick, still in her hand. "But, there is hope."

She looked up at the sky and her expression hardened at the sight of the Earth hanging in the sky. "They will pay. In time, they will all learn the folly of challenging the Moon."

The ginzuishou glowed again, this time silver, and the beam swept over the city. The bodies of the fallen rose into the air, encased in glowing spheres. Her soldiers. Her subjects. Uranus. Neptune. Mercury. Mars. Jupiter. Venus.

Serenity.

She watched, satisfied as the first of the spheres rose into the sky and shot off towards the Earth. It would take time, but they would be reborn. Reborn on the hated planet which destroyed their home. She frowned as she saw a sphere containing Endymion's body rose behind Serenity's. The queen weakly raised the Moon Stick towards it.

"Not you."

The sphere vanished and the Earth prince's body crashed to the surface.

"Let him rot," the queen whispered. She turned her head towards the cats.

"In time, they will return... and they will take revenge on the Earth for its sins. I need you to guide them. Show them their destiny. Help them take from Earth what it took from us."

Luna and Artemis exchanged worried looks.

"Your majesty," Artemis began.

"Swear it!" the queen snarled. "If you love me... if you love her... swear to carry out my final wish, or die here with me!"

The lunar cats look at each other, then back at their queen and hung their heads.

"We swear it," they said. The queen's smile returned and she raised the Moon Stick once more. Light flashed and the two cats were encased in their own spheres and sent to Earth. The queen looked at the ginzuishou and smirked at the inhuman face that peered out of it at her.

"You serve her now," she whispered. She raised her arm and let the Moon Stick go. It hovered in the air. The ginzuishou separated from it and both vanished in a flash of light.

Queen Serenity smiled again. They would return when the princess needed them. She looked up at the Earth and allowed her eyes to close for the last time.

"You will be hers."


	4. Sailor Jupiter Buries the Past

**Sailor Jupiter Buries the Past**

Makoto spun in place and smashed the side of her foot into Sailor Venus's face. Minako staggered back across the room, caught her balance before she fell, reached down to the sheath strapped to her thigh and pulled the long serrated knife from it.

She snarled and charged across the room, leaping into the air. Makoto's hands shot up, grabbed Minako's forearm and threw her through the doorway to the kitchen. There was an explosion of sound as Minako connected with the pan rack handing over the kitchen island counter and crashed to the floor, the pans following suit. Makoto strode into the kitchen, grabbed Venus's arm, put a foot on her shoulder and slammed Minako's hand against the floor until the knife clattered to the floor.

Makoto let out a sigh of exertion, then pulled Minako to her feet.

"You could have just called," she said.

Minako's lips curled up in her usual predatory grin. "This way's more fun."

Mako rolled her eyes. "If any of my pans are dented, I'm going to break your shoulder. Again."

"Awww, you always know what turns a girl on," Minako replied, glomping onto Mako's arm and making kissy faces at her. Makoto freed herself and casually threw the knife right between her fellow Senshi's eyes. Minako caught it one handed and returned it to its sheath in one fluid motion.

"Is there something you need?" Mako asked, surveying the damage to the pan rack. She was going to need to go to the hardware store later.

"Usagi wants you," Minako said, putting her usual tone of innuendo on the phrase. "Well, to be honest, she wants Sailor Jupiter. She says she has a surprise for you, but you need to be in uniform."

Makoto nodded and pulled her tranformation pen from her pocket. The repairs to the pan rack could wait. Usagi needed her.

"JUPITER ECLIPSE POWER, MAKE UP!"

A flash of light and Makoto stood in the sleeveless black fuku with the green and pink highlights that made up her uniform. Her hair was pulled back in a tight braid that sprouted from her head and two gold bracers inlaid with emeralds surrounded her biceps.

"It's so not fair you get those," Minako said, pointing at the bracers.

"Yeah but you've got the chain and the knife," Makoto replied. "Your stuff is more practical."

"Screw practical, I want pretty," Minako retorted, then let out a sigh. "We better get going. You know how Usagi gets if she's kept waiting."

"Yep," Mako said, opening the sliding glass door that led to the balcony outside her apartment. "Wanna race?"  
"Anything goes?"

"As long as we both make it to Usagi in one piece, sure."

Minako grinned and followed Makoto out onto the balcony. She waiting until Mako had locked the door and closed it, then grabbed Mako's braid and yanked her over her shoulder and out into space.

"Ready set GO!" Venus yelled down at Jupiter's receding form as she leaped across to the roof top of the next building. There was a crash of thunder as Makoto landed flawlessly on a flagpole extending from the side of the building and used it as a springboard to fly though the air, rolling across the rooftop to her feet and running side by side with Venus.

The chase was on.

As usual, Makoto won. Also as usual, Minako had found herself stuck via supercharged static electricity to a train heading for Shinjuku. She'd be back by sundown.

In the meantime, Mako had an appointment with her princess. She walked through the balcony doors of the penthouse at the top of Crystal Tower. Usagi was waiting there, casually laying on her throne, with her legs thrown over one of the arms. She, too, was in her Sailor Moon form... although to be honest, Usagi was rarely out of her Sailor Moon form these days.

"You wanted to see me, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi looked up, and a smile... her cold, beautiful smile... came across her face. "Mako-chan! Yay!"

Usagi bounded to her feet and over to Makoto, glomping onto the taller girl's arm. Makoto, used to this kind of greeting, simply adjusted her weight so her princess didn't knock them both down in her exuberance.

Usagi looked up at Makoto, her cold smile turning mischievous. "I have a surprise for you, Mako-chan. I think you'll like it. C'mon!"

Usagi looped her arm through Mako's and half led, half dragged her most devoted senshi out of the room and down the hall. After a few moments, Makoto realized where they were going.

The Question Room.

Other places under other leaders may have called the room the interrogation room, the information gathering room, or just the torture chamber, but Usagi had decreed it the Question Room, because "it's where I get the answers I need."

Despite Usagi's absolute rule of Tokyo and, by extension, the rest of Japan, the Question Room didn't really get a lot of use. Someone had to have done something really bad or unwise to merit a trip there. Makoto didn't really approve of using it, that was more Minako's speed, which is why it was a surprise that Usagi wanted her in the Question Room in the first place.

The second surprise came when Usagi opened the door and Makoto saw who was strapped into the chair in the center of the room. Makoto's eyes widened and she stopped in the doorway. Usagi skipped into the room, giggling, then turned and struck a pose like a showgirl on a game show.

"Herrrre he is! The one person the rest of us have all wanted to meet!"

Makoto blinked. She felt her lips part and a quiet whisper escape. 

"Senpai..."

Makoto walked into the room slowly, still not sure if this was real. It looked like him. Same hair, same build. Same face.

It was him.

She felt her lip curl up in a sneer. After everything he said, after everything he did, here he was, exactly where Makoto had always wanted in her darkest moments. She looked at Usagi.

"Please tell me you want me to kill him."

Usagi smiled. "Of course I do, Mako-chan! But I think it'll be more fun if he's awake, don't you?"

Mako smirked slightly as Usagi leaned over and began lightly slapping sempai's face. "Hey... hey... stupid! Wake up! Somebody wants to see you!"

Senpai moaned and opened his eyes. He saw Usagi standing in front of him and his head shot up, eyes wide.

"Oh God, Sailor Moon! I mean, uh... w-what can I do for-"

Usagi silenced him by placing a finger against his lips. "Shhhh... relax. I brought you here to be reunited with an old friend!"

"Old... friend?" Senpai blinked. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know who you mean."

"Well, that figures," Makoto said, stepping into her old boyfriend's view. "After all, you just decided we were done after you got what you wanted, didn't you?"

Senpai's eyes widened and he swallowed hard. "S-Sailor Jupiter! Um... whatever I did, I honestly don't remember, but I'm sorry!"

Makoto smirked and touched the gem in her tiara. There was a flash of light and she looked down at Senpai. "How about now?"

Senpai's eyes widened even further. "Makoto? You... you're Sailor-?"

"Shhhhh." Mako said, putting a finger to his lips. "Don't try to think. We both know that's not your strong suit."

She looked to her princess. "What do you want done to him?"

Usagi smiled again. "Whatever you want, for however long you want... or until he drops dead, whichever comes first."

Jupiter's mouth curled up in a sadistic grin. She turned back to Senpai and held up a hand. Electricity sparked across her fingertips. Senpai swallowed.

"Makoto, listen, I know I was a dick... but I've changed! Seriously, just wait, we can talk this out!"

"Talk?" Makoto's voice was ice. "All you do is talk. All you EVER did was talk. And all the things you said... all the complements... all the whispers... all the promises..."

She looked from him to her hand and flexed her fingers. Tiny green tinted flashes of light danced around her knuckles. She closed her eyes.

"All those words... they were all LIES!"

Makoto whirled and threw her sparking fist with all her might at Senpai's face. There was a loud crack that echoed throughout the room as Senpai's jaw shattered. Through a mouthful of broken teeth he let out a cry of pain. But that cry was cut short as Mako hurled her other fist straight into his solar plexus, causing the air to rush from his lungs. He doubled over as much as the chair would allow, gasping for breath.

Makoto didn't give him the time. She took two steps back and lashed out with a kick that caught the toe of her boot under his jaw. Senpai's head snapped back, the base of his skull connecting with the back of the chair with a sharp smack. She dashed forward and drove a crackling fist directly into Senpai's groin, discharging a bolt of electricity as it connected.

Senpai let out a noise between a stangled cry and a rush of breath. He twitched violently in his seat and a dark spot appeared on his pants and spread rapidly. Tears poured from his eyes, as did blood form his mouth and nose.

Makoto knelt in front of him and tilted his head up. "Well?" she asked, "What do you want to talk about now?"

"...n'more... please... hurts... sorry..." Senpai struggled to get out around his broken jaw.

"Shut up." Makoto drew her hand back, extended her first two fingers and plunged them into Senpai's eyes. Her former boyfriend screamed in agony as Jupiter channeled electricity through her fingers and into his optic nerves. His body twitched and convulsed for a full two minutes before Makoto removed her fingers, letting the lifeless corpse collapse in the chair.

Mako picked up a hand towel on the small table next to the chair and wiped her former boyfriend's residue off her gloves. She tossed the towel aside and turned to Usagi, who had been sitting in another chair enjoying the show.

"Well, that was fun," Mako said, smiling. "Anything else?"

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you," Usagi said. "This was just the warm up."

"Warm up?" Mako quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how I get sometimes? Silly dopey Usagi sometimes wonders just how much her friends love her."

"You know we love you and would do anything for you. Who wouldn't?"

Usagi nodded. "I know, Mako-chan, but it's one of those little thoughts that pops into your head and just won't go away. So, I figured, maybe you'd do something for me to prove how much you love me, please?"

"Sure," Mako answered. "What do you want done?"

Usagi smiled again and activated her communicator. "Bring him in."

Another door to the Question Room opened and Mars and Mercury wheeled in another chair. The chair was occupied with another boy, also strapped down. He had a black cloth bag over his head.

"How long?" Mercury asked, seeing Senpai's dead body in the chair.

"About four minutes," Usagi answered. "Two of those at the end. Mako kept pumping lightning into him."

"How many seconds?" Ami asked, pulling out her computer. Behind them, Rei undid the floor clamps that kept Senpai's chair in place and wheeled him aside.

"I don't know. I was enjoying the show." Usagi answered.

Ami sighed. "Usagi, if you want me to be able to give you a decent battle plan, I need to know what we all can do and for how long. I need accurate data."

"Well, don't worry, Ami-chan. I thought of that." Usagi turned to look at Rei, who was securing the new chair to the floor. "All set, Rei-chan?"

Rei looked up, her hair obscuring half of her face. She nodded, then got to her feet and stepped back. Usagi turned to Makoto.

"Okay, so here's what I need you to do, Mako-chan. I want you to do to him exactly what you did to stupid over there."

"What did he do?" Makoto asked.

"Nothing," Usagi said. "This isn't about him. It's about you. So, I kinda had Minako go find him for you."

Rei grabbed the bag and pulled it off the boy's head. He gasped as fresh air rushed into his lungs and looked up. Makoto's eyes widened.

"Shinnozaki?"

Shinnozaki paled as he realized who was surrounding him and where he was. He turned his head, bringing Makoto into his view. He stared at her and blinked. "Makoto?"

Mako blinked and turned back to Usagi and Ami. Ami was watching her intently and typing notes into her computer. Usagi's cold grin had returned.

"If you love me, Mako-chan, you'll do as I ask. Oh, and you aren't allowed to tell him you're sorry, either."

"Makoto, what's going on? Why am I here? Why are you dressed like Sailor Jupit- oh. Oh,my God..."

Mako slowly looked from Usagi to Shinnozaki and back again. Shinnozaki looked at her with an expression of disbelief and terror. Usagi just grinned again and waved her fingers at her captive in encouragement.

Makoto looked back at her childhood friend. He looked back at her. She could see the pleading in his eyes. He knew better than to beg for mercy in front of the Senshi. Everyone in Japan knew there was none to be had. And yet, he silently begged her to spare him. For the sake of the times they had spent together in the past. For the friendship they had both relied on in their younger days.

Mako took a deep breath and let it slowly out through her nose.

She walked over to Shinnozaki and put a hand on his shoulder. She squeezed it gently. She felt his shoulder muscle relax slightly.

Unseen by him, Jupiter closed her other fist, letting the lightning flow.

It took four minutes and seventeen seconds.


	5. Sailor Mercury Takes a Break

**Sailor Mercury Takes A Break**

The screams quieted and Mercury tapped the "record" icon on her computer's touchscreen.

"Experiment #507, Sequence 32. Results: negative. Increasing amperage to 19. Temperature to minus 12 Celsius."

She closed the recording application and touched another icon. She adjusted some of the settings, tapped the "calibrate" button and waited.

"Ami... please..." came the subject's voice. It was faint, but still audible from within the test chamber. Mercury ignored it and waited patiently for the settings to complete calibration.

"Ami-chan," came a voice. Mercury quirked an eyebrow and turned to see Usagi, resplendent in her Sailor Moon form as always, standing in the doorway. She had her smile – her wonderful, cold smile – present as well.

"Usagi," Mercury said, turning to face her princess. "I presume this means it's my turn."

"Your turn?" Usagi asked.

"Well, there was what happened to Rei and, of course, Makoto and the Question Room two weeks ago. I figured out what you're doing, and I naturally assumed it would be my turn eventually."

Usagi's grin widened, showing teeth. To anyone else, they would see it as a sign of impending doom. To Mercury, however, it was simply an acknowledgment of her deductive reasoning.

"And what, exactly, am I doing, Ami-chan?" Usagi asked, stepping behind her first senshi and resting her head on Mercury's shoulder.

"Testing our loyalty," Mercury answered. Deep inside herself, she felt a thrill run through her at the intimate contact. She quickly forced the feeling to go away. As much as her body enjoyed any sort of contact from Usagi, the feelings were irrelevant and counter-productive to her current task.

"I figured you would test me as well. So, I decided to make preparations based on your previous tests."

Mercury gestured to the test chamber. Usagi glanced up and blinked. She was genuinely surprised and that was hard to do these days. Who knew Mercury had that in her?

"Wow," Usagi said, her astonishment audible. "I never expected you would do that."

"Simple logic led me to the appropriate subject. I've been exposing the subject to extremes of electricity and cold temperatures. I've been trying to determine the optimal ratios of ice to lightning in order to improve mine and Makoto's power combinations. I have plans to do the same for the rest of us. It should improve our combat prowess by 35% under optimal conditions."

Usagi snaked an arm around Mercury's waist, drawing her closer. "You're so smart, Ami-chan. I can always depend on you."

"Thank you, Usagi," Mercury said. She clenched one fist, keeping herself under control. Any time Usagi decided to get close to her, it was all Mercury could do to keep herself from supplicating herself before her princess. Japan was theirs all due to Usagi's leadership and drive. And under Usagi, Mercury had found her true self. Gone was the mopey, bookish girl genius, and in her place was the strong, invulnerable creature of pure intellect she was always meant to be. And it was all due to the surprisingly open and emotional girl currently hugging her from behind.

"But, you're right," Usagi continued. "I do want to test you. And while I appreciate all the trouble you went to, this..." She waved at the test chamber. "... isn't what I want from you."

Mercury quirked her eyebrow again. "I'm sorry, Usagi. I went with the most logical conclusion based on how you tested Rei and Makoto."

Usagi giggled. The giggle that had caused more than one person to quail in terror in their last moments. Still holding Mercury firmly around the waist, Usagi brushed her free hand up and down her senshi's arm.

"Fair, but I want something more intimate from you, Ami-chan. Will you give me what I want?"

"Anything I have is yours, Usagi."

Usagi's grin widened. "Okay, then, Ami-chan. I just want something simple from you."

In a flash, Usagi's free hand grasped Mercury's wrist and twisted her arm up behind her back. The pain was unexpected and excruciating. Usagi's grips on Mercury's wrist and waist tightened and she pulled Mercury's arm further up her back.

"Cry," Usagi said.

"What?" Mercury gasped, still trying to remain calm in spite of the pain.

"I want you to cry for me, Ami-chan," Usagi said, her voice soft and kind. "Cry for me and that way I'll know you love me. You do love me, don't you, Ami-chan?"

"Y-yes, Usagi," Mercury answered, her teeth clenching. The pain was getting worse and harder to ignore.

"Say it."

"I l-love you, U-Usagi." Mercury practically gasped her princess's name. She managed to suck in a breath before Usagi forced her arm further up her back. Mercury's brain quickly ran some calculations and determined Usagi could only move her arm a further inch before the pressure broke her arm or shoulder. Her brain then suggested that screaming in uncontrollable agony would probably be appropriate right about now.

Mercury vetoed her brain's suggestion.

Usagi spoke again, still soft and kind. "If you love me, Ami-chan, cry for me."

The very notion made Mercury mentally recoil. She had anticipated Usagi asking something difficult of her, but not this difficult. To cry was to admit vulnerability. To admit base instincts were more important than pure intellectual prowess. They had fought together against countless foes, some human, some not. She had fought. She had been injured. But through it all, she had not allowed her mind to be sublimated by her body.

Suddenly a thought stuck her, causing her eyes to widen in shock. If she didn't allow those base instincts to take over here, then something worse would happen.

Usagi could very well cast her aside. She had done so before. Haruka and Michiru could certainly attest to that. To not follow Usagi was to be cast from her love. And that love, though it could be (and frequently was) lethal, to lose that love was a much more terrifying prospect.

She would be alone again.

Mercury blinked, then blinked again when she felt the moisture running from her eye down her cheek. Usagi smiled again and leaned forward. She extended her tongue and placed against Mercury's cheek, catching the tear before it ran off her face. Usagi closed her mouth and savored the salty taste of Mercury's loyalty before letting her go.

Mercury shook her head when she was released, closing her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them, they had returned to their natural expression. Hard, clinical, and cold.

Usagi hugged Mercury once more. "I'm proud of you, Ami-chan. I know that wasn't easy for you. But I needed to know, and you gave me the answer I needed. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Usagi," Mercury said. She picked up her computer. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Not right now. I'll let you get back to work."

"If you need anything later..."

"I'll call," Usagi finished. She waved and left the lab, the automatic doors closing behind her.

Mercury allowed herself to take a deep breath. Not out of relief, but simply to clear her mind and center herself. She glanced at the computer screen and nodded in satisfaction at the "Calibration Complete" message that appeared there. She looked up and turned back to her test subject.

"Please excuse that distraction. The princess occasionally needs reassurance. Now then, shall we continue, Mother?"


End file.
